The Bachelor’s Lead Into Conveyor Belt of Love
I’ve come to the conclusion that The Bachelor needs to stop the inbreeding that seems so prevalent the past few years of the show. They take a popular reject from the show, make them the bachelor or bachelorette the following season, then use the next reject, etc. The only thing that makes all this interesting after awhile is the drama. Face it. That’s the only reason we tune in. However, the shows that are at least putting something different out there, no matter how ridiculous the concept, such as Conveyor Belt of Love, become much more interesting.
We all tuned into The Bachelor last night because we wanted to see Jake the pilot who was turned down by Jillian on the last season of The Bachelorette. But since he’s now had his fifteen minutes of fame, he’s turned into a mini celebrity, and the women that are on the show courting him are the ones that fell in love with him while watching him court Jillian. They don’t seem to want him so much as they just seem flabberghasted that Jillian passed him up.
There wasn’t even the outrageous and desperateness that we usually find on the first night as the group of twenty-five available women met the bachelor. There was no drunken party guests, underwear-giving, or hot dog condiments. All we had was one woman giving parting gifts to the other twenty-four women, as she was so sure she would be the one picked in the end, and another that came out wearing a flight attendant uniform that looked like it was straight out of the book Coffee, Tea, or Me?
Additionally, everyone was so milquetoast. Jake is cute, granted, but he’s also very WYSIWYG. Honestly, what can anyone remember about him from The Bachelorette otherr than the fact that he was a pilot? His pool of twenty-five girls here was just the same, and as has been reported, it seemed a little racially unbalanced, as there were no women of color in this pool. I really can’t tell you much about any of them. No one really stood out that much, except for the divorcee. Interestingly enough, that’s who he gave the first impression rose to, so obvoiusly he experienced the same troubles.
As is the case with all the most recent seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, we have promised drama that they’ll keep promoting as we wait every week for it. This season it’s one of the bachelorettes having an affair with a crew member. Really, are we that shocked that a woman who is one of many dates to a single bachelor wants a little one-on-one time that doesn’t come from a date box? It’s not that shocking, but is surprising that it’s never happened before.
This all led right into Conveyor Belt of Love. I read the descritption of the show and was quite incredulous that reality TV dating had come to this, but wondered how different it really was than The Bachelor. Why is twenty-five women arriving in five different limos and meeting one man for ten seconds, then talking to him for another 30 seconds before he makes a decision that different than a group of guys arriving via conveyor belt and getting ten seconds to show their wares to a group of five women, hoping to be one of the five chosen in the end? Kind of the same.
I have to say watching Conveyor Belt of Love that it was far more interesting that the previous two hours of The Bachelor that I watched. Everyone wasn’t milquetoast. The five women were all very different, in personality, interests, looks, etc. And the guys arriving on the belt were just as random of a group. They had buys with nice bodies, guys that were heavy, guys that were thin, guys that lived at home still, guys that were successful, guys that played music, guys that told jokes. They were so entertaining, much more so than the twenty-five girls wearing evening gowns that were mostly all blonde.
We saw the outcomes of the dates at the end of the hour. Some were successful; some weren’t. Interestingly, the one guy that was heavy was one of the successful dates. The woman who had chosen him liked that he put her first and enjoyed his sense of humor. She liked that they did something differenet on the date. They had fun. There was no big drama and no one running out in tears upset that they weren’t chosen or that the process was too stressful.
I’ll keep watching both shows, but I know how it will end up already. Conveyor Belt of Love is going to most likely be a a one-season-and-out show, while Jake becomes engaged, but never marries, and one of the women Jake rejects, either in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place, will become the next Bachelorette that will air this summer.
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – Sugarland
A fan of Sugarland? It’s your lucky day as they have a concert on ABC tonight. They’re obviously filling the void left from Jillian finally finding happiness on The Bachelorette and no longer needing to air her love life. And what about Dating In the Dark? I haven’t caught it yet, but it’s been airing after The Bachelorette and will air again tonight in the same time slot. I can’t figure out why I should want to watch people on TV in the dark, even if they are dating. It’s dark.
1. Today. During the “optional” hour of the Today Show, the guest will be Chris Kattan, and they’ll also feature life after a cancer diagnosis and wealthy youngsters, presumably two separate topics. 10:00 PM CT NBC.
2. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. My son likes to think he’s Ferris. In fact, he thought he would get a computer for his 16th birthday like Ferris. Not in this economy. He is definitely not Abe Froman, sausage king of Chicago. 11:30 AM CT AMC
3. Mad Money. Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, and Katie Holmes star in this movie as women who devise a plan to steal from the Federal Reserve bank from the inside. Somehow it’s still hard to imagine Keaton’s character devising this plan. 12:25 PM CT Starz West
4. Great American Road Trip. Tonight the remaining families leave Arizona’s Meteror Crater and go across the dessert to the Grand Canyon. They’ll make a stop in Slide Rock State Park in Arizona. 7:00 PM CT NBC (more…)
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – After the Final Rose
I don’t think there’s anything that could happen tonight on After the Final Rose for The Bachelorette that could possibly top Jason Mesnick’s drama last season. I’m likely to think this one sticks … for now. Jillian and Ed seem genuine; they have since the beginning, and they’ve already worked through problems, with his leaving, and then whatever it was that happened in the private suite that night. It’s not like they had this big fairytale and will now be presented with the real world. They’ve kind of already been there. I’m figuring they’ll still be together tonight, and that perhaps this could be the second relationship from this franchise to actually see the alter.
1. Regis and Kelly. Today’s guest is Jonah Hill and dogs with unusual skills are featured as well on Top Dog Week. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. Ransom. Ron Howard directed this thriller that stars Mel Gibson as a dad whose son is kidnapped. 10:45 AM CT Encore East
3. Say Anything … John Cusack classic of a guy from the wrong side of the tracks that falls for a girl from the right side of the tracks. Ione Skye and John Mahoney star as well. 3:00 PM CT Encore Love
4. Superstars. It’s the season finale with Lisa Leslie/David Chavret, Bode Miller/Paige Hemmis, and Kristi Leskinen/Maksim Chmerkovskiy competing 7:00 PM CT ABC (more…)
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – Will Jillian Get Her Man
It all comes down to this. Tonight we find out who Jillian chooses, Kiptin, who has seemed like the perfect guy since day one, or Ed, who left her to go back to work, then changed his mind and came back. Like always, she’ll suffer some indecision and face something that puts questions around everything.
1. Regis and Kelly. Holly Hunter is the guest, and Top Dog Week begins with dogs that have all broken records. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. Rachael Ray. Today’s guests are Jillian Michaels from The Biggest Loser and David Ortiz. Syndicated, check local listings.
3. License to Wed. It’s definitely not my favorite Robin Williams movie, but it’s still worth a look. 2:30 PM CT Starz
4. Great American Road Trip. The families reach the mid point of Route 66 with a pie-eating contest, and then stop in Albuquerque for a hot air balloon adventure before a challenge at Meteor Crater in Arizona. 7:00 PM CT NBC (more…)
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – The Men Tell All On the Bachelorette!
We have the guys coming back to talk about Jillian and each other on The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All tonight. The story this season has revolved around Wes. I’m sure much of tonight will as well. Here’s the burning question. With all the heat on him, will he have the guts to show? As much as he ust wante the publicity, he probably will, although I think he’s been getting the publicity he wasn’t actually looking for.
1. Regis and Kelly. Alanis Morissette, Alex Rodriguez, and CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira are the guests, an dDate Night Makeover Week begins. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. Airplane! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this movie, and it still makes me laugh just as hard. Surely you can’t be serious. Yea, I am, and stop calling me Shirley. 10:05 AM CT HBO Comedy East
3. Blindness. An interesting movie about an illness that spreads throughout a community forcing people into a white blindness and to live in a apocalyptic type world. Stars Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo. 11:05 AM CT Starz
4. Great American Road Trip. The families leave Missouri and travel through Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The patriarchs of the families square off in a BBQ challenge. 7:00 PM CT NBC (more…)
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – Teddy: In His Own Words
Tonight, HBO airs the first in its summer documentary series on Monday nights, Teddy: In His Own Words. Senator Edward Kennedy speaks about his life an dincludes video clips and snapshots to back it u You really get a clear picture seeing all of it together in front of you like this. Read my review at Film Monthly to learn more.
1. Regis and Kelly. Emma Watson guests today and “Celebrity Look-alike Week” begins. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. Bachelor Party. Before we had The Hangover, we had Bachelor Party, staring Tom Hanks and Adrian Zmed. 9:15 AM CT AMC
3. The Secret of My Success. If this movie doesn’t say 80s with its hair styles and fashion and business, I don’t know what does. Michael J. Fox and Helen Slater star in this movie about an innocent college grad who goes to New York determined to make it in the business world. 12:30 PM CT HBO East
4. Great American Road Trip. The remaining families take off from the Gateway Arch and head to Branson, Missouri, to do skits in front of Andy Williams and Yakov Smirnoff. Seriously? Syndicated, check local listings. (more…)
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – Cable’s Back!
As a relatively new fan of all the drama series on cable, I felt like I was going through withdrawal not having any new ones on over the weekend. Fear not, they’re back tonight. The Closer and Raising the Bar are on tonight, along with Weeds and Nurse Jackie over on Showtime.
1. Regis and Kelly. Guests include Mary McCormack, chef Nigella Lawson, and he Jonas Brothers. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. Groundhog Day. Bill Murray as a weatherman who is forced to live Groundhog Day over and over again. Somehow, we all know how he feels. 9:00 AM CT FX
3. Pretty In Pink. Jon Cryer steals the show here as Molly Ringwald’s best friend, Ducky who has great taste in music. 12:15 PM CT AMC
4. Rachael Ray.Paula Deen guests, making margarita pops, and a camping segment with Colby Donaldson, of Survivor fame, is featured as well. Syndicated, check local listings. (more…)
What’s Hot On TV Today - Secret Life of the American Teenager
I really want to watch Secret Life of the American Teenager, but perhaps it’s having a 16-year-old son and nearly 13-year-old daughter that just makes it too hard to even consider it. I should have them watching the show is what I should be doing. It’s on tonight with a season premiere, followed by a series premiere of Make It Or Break It.
1. Doc Hollywood. Reading Michael J. Fox’s autobiography, he said it was during the filming of this movie that he first started realizing symptoms of his Parkinson’s appearing in his hands, but it was long after that that it was diagnosed. He stars as a doctor that gets stuck in a small South Carolina town using his medical knowledge to perform community service, ironically enough. 11:00 AM CT CMT
2. Forrest Gump. I wonder if what makes this movie so entertaining and endearing is the chance that maybe we all wish for a simple life like Forrest’s. Despite his difficult beginnings, it seemed like stuff was always simple for him … like a box of chocolates. 1:00 PM CT HBO West
3. What’s Love Got to Do With It. Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne star as Ike and Tina Turner in this biography of their lives together, showcasing the abuse. 4:30 PM CT VH1 Classic
4. I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! To me, it’s going to be a little boring this week without Janice Dickinson. 7:00 PM CT NBC (more…)
What’s Hot On TV Tonight - The Anxiety of It All
One of the most interesing new shows this summer is Obsessed on A&E. From the same people behind Intervention, it follows people with anxiety orders. More than just people with fears of germs, it goes beyond that, following people that scrub themselves bloody and have pointed irritances such as the way family members say the K sound and touch things softly. As shocking as some of it is, we all know we have a little bit of it insiside each of us.
1. Regis and Kelly. Megan Mullaly guest co-hosts, and Jack Black guests. Also starting is a Summer School Pop Quiz. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. Today. In the last hour of the show (I still think of it as the “extra hour”), Jada Pinkett Smith guests, promoting her new TNT series HawthoRNe. Bethenny Frankel of Real Housewives of New York City guests as well 11:30 AM CT Retro
3. Fame. Before this movie, I think the majority of the country didn’t even realize they had special high schools for exceptionally talented students. The music here is stuff that legends are made of. Interesting to note, a remake is in the works and due out in September. 2:30 PM CT Indie
4. Untraceable. This is the type of thriller I really enjoy. Diane Lane stars as an FBI agent tracking a killer that uses the internet to show his victims being tortured. 2:45 PM CT Starz East
5. I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! Frances left because she couldn’t stand to be there without best friend Angela, but somethign tells me watching brother Daniel leave didn’t force Stephen 7:00 PM CT NBC
6. The Bachelorette. Still in Canada, Jillian and the Bachelors go to a British Columbia resort, with the rumor of some of the guys having girlfriends hanging over her. They go snowmobiling for a group date and have one-on-ones zip-trekking and on a ski plane. One date ends in a hot tub. Will she repeat what she did with Jason Mesnick? 7:00 PM CT ABC
7. Greek. In the season finale, Kappa Tau is hosting an End of the World parthy, and Casey is still experiencing conflicting feelings for Marx and Cappie. Ashleigh gets accused of sabotaging a homecoming float, and Dale and Calvin both take a purity pledge. 7:00 PM CT ABC Family
8. The Closer. A greedy financier is being investigated for investment fraud, and when he’s abducted, Brenda wonders if he may have staged it. Provenza continues his odd behavior, and Brenda’s cat is still having medical problems. 8:00 PM CT TNT
9. Intervention. Crack addiction is the subject handled tonight 8:00 PM CT A&E
10. Larry King Live. Jeff Foxworthy and last year’s American Idol winner David Cook are the guests. 8:00 PM CT A&E
11. Jon & Kate Plus 8. The American Chopper guys visit the Gosselins to build a custom bike for Jon. 8:00 PM CT TLC
12. Dateline NBC. The Las Vegas police are followed on their arrests, including the police going after would-be pimps by pretending to be a prostitute, an auto theft squad tracking cars designed to be stolen, and a man telling police about his counterfeit money scam. 9:00 PM CT NBC
13. Here Come the Newlyweds. The newlyweds have their teamwork skills tested by designing carnival games with neighborhood kids. In a separate challenge, the husbands have to guess what their wives think their shortcomings are when it comes to intimacy. 9:00 PM CT ABC
14. Raising the Bar. Jerry and Michelle present a case in front of an overly strict new judge, and Michelle falls for a cop who could be committing perjury. Another case revolves around two older twins that stand accused of forging a welfare check, and Marcus dates a politic figure. 9:00 PM CT TNT
15. 4th and Long. Hall of Famer Roger Staubach makes an appearance as the hopeful football players clash in a yards-after-contact drill. 9:00 PM CT Spike TV
16. Obsessed. Profiled tonight are a man who hoards things, so much so that he has to sleep outside with no room in his apartment, and a woman has obsessive thougths about death. 9:00 PM CT A&E
17. Kathy Griffin: My Life On the D-List. Kathy networks for a Grammy win for Best Comedy Album, soliciting votes by contating former winners and traveling to Canda to meet with Lily Tomlin. 9:00 PM CT Bravo
18. Weeds. Nancy makes a vist to Guillermo in prison, Celia devotes time to the rebel camp by organizating their supplies, Shane decides to visit Nancy’s estranged sister, and Silas and Doug are having second thoguhts about the pot-growing plot. 9:00 PM CT Showtime East
19. Nurse Jackie. An administrator accident dumps a narcotic in her coffee instead of artifical sweentener after Jackie makes the substitution (I wonder if they’ll even use Skinny and Sweet brand like they did on 9 to 5), and a student nursehas second thoughts but her career choice, and a patiently who is unruly and stirring things up. 9:30 PM CT Showtime East
20. Chelsea Lately. Betty White is the guest, and I would love it if Chelsea played some beer pong with her like Jimmy Fallon did. I hope they at least talk about it. 10:00 PM CT E!